Two 16th-century monuments of the Durbar Square of Patan on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami (the birth anniversary of Krishna), when thousands of pilgrims and devotees pay homage at a temple.

Photo of the Week: Cheetahs Posing, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Two cheetahs standing ready and vigilant in the rays of another remarkable day at the Selous Game Reserve, the largest ‘unscathed’ game reserve in Tanzania and a UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site.

Photo of the Week: Boats Bob in the Waters of Melissani Lake, Kefalonia, Greece

Melissani Lake is a pool of still water in a natural cave. Given the breathtaking beauty of the caves, they have always been an ideal site for rites associated with the divine.

Photo of the Week: Mt Yasur Eruption, Tanna Island, Vanuatu

Mt Yasur is the most accessible live volcano in the world, with eruptions every five to ten minutes. The 15-minute trek to the crater increases the prospects of a shortened life, but that’s why thousands make it.

Photo of the Week: The Church of Tisco, Arequipa, Peru

Tisco is one of the highest settlements in Peru's Colca Valley. This church, built before the 18th-century expulsion of Dominican monks Its geographical location, is distinguished by its red décor, made with ochre.

Photo of the Week: Beautiful Waters of the Bocas Islands, Panama

There is a unique vibe about the Bocas del Toro archipelago in far west Panama, the true gateway to the country for overlanders from Costa Rice. It's a bohemian calypso feel that even the hardest at heart will enjoy.

Photo of the Week: Fire-Knife Dancing in Samoa

Siva Afi, or fire-knife dancing, is one of the most exhilarating aspects of Samoan festivities. Although a traditional pre-war ritual that was used to psych up Samoan warrior, it is today a demonstration of agility.

Photo of the Week: the Dazzling Colours of Sunset, The Maldives

As the waves of the Indian Ocean gently lap at your feet and the beach's slowly cooling sands, the sun’s last rays of the day paint the sky with a beautiful range of colours and tones.

Central America’s steep and often volcanic terrain abounds with hiking opportunities, but the higher-elevation scenery of the Ixil region in Guatemala offers an exciting chance to escape from the usual lowland tourist trails. The best point of departure is Nebaj, the main city in the Guatemalan department of El Quiché.

A few months ago, The Travel Word put its support behind the seventh annual 2013 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards, a contest that honors exceptional tourism providers in Asia with business strategies that meet responsible tourism criteria. Now, after reviewing more than 45 quality applications from a geographically diverse pool of contestants, the award judges last month announced the winners.

Deep within the depths of rural Britain, communities are stirring. Shabby but iconic telephone boxes are being reclaimed, shuttered shops are being repurposed and visitors welcomed in with open arms. And it all has to do with community tourism, a proven way to rehabilitate local infrastructure and bolster local economies.

This is a classic feel-good tale featuring an especially unlikely cast of characters: an African travel company, a UK-based handmade-bag manufacturer, a doctor, a boatbuilder, a community-based organisation in Malawi and the people on the shores of Lake Malawi it supports, especially the kids of a primary school.

Felipe Zalamea is the London-based brain and brawn behind Sumak Sustainable Travel, a tour operator specialising in community-based ecotourism and focusing on building bridges between local communities active in tourism and travellers interested in seeing a different side of the world. The Travel Word had a chat with him about the work he is doing to connect travellers to amazing off-the-beaten-track travel in Latin America.

Set in an Andean mountain valley, the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia, is headquarters of a unique organisation known as the Bolivian Network of Community and Solidarity Based Tourism (the Spanish acronym is Tusoco). A product of grassroots peasant and indigenous community organisations, Tusoco is a thriving organisation with a new approach to sustainable and responsible tourism.

These days, people living in the northern highlands of Nicaragua enjoy a far more tranquil existence than the war-torn 1980s. These peaceful times have helped in the welcome growth of a variety of successful community-based tourism projects. These local responsible travel initiatives are improving the livelihoods of local mountain residents.

After much debate, a panel of expert judges has selected the finalists for the 2013 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards. Selected from the widest geographical spread to date of responsible tourism practitioners, the finalists will now undergo the last round of review.

Few Latin American have transformed themselves into travel Meccas quite as completely and quickly as has Peru. But parts of Peru still remain thoroughly out of bounds for tourists. Travel safety in Peru means you need to tread lightly and appreciate the complexities of your host community.

This shot was taken in the backwaters of Kerala, India, a highly complex network of inland waterways that connect the area’s remote villages. I hopped out of my canoe to watch and photograph this otherwise normal morning sight for the locals. I have always loved the simple life of the countryside in Kerala, so whenever I am in Kochi, I make it a point to visit.